Vane motor

ABSTRACT

A vane motor including a casing having a pressurized fluid inlet and a pressurized fluid outlet through which a pressurized fluid is introduced and discharged and a rotor disposed inside the casing and configured to receive the pressure of the pressurized fluid and rotate about a rotary shaft held in the casing, the rotor having a generally cylindrical rotor body with a central axis corresponding to the rotary shaft and vanes installed in vane guide grooves formed in the side surface of the rotor body and changed in widths protruding from the vane guide grooves according to rotation phases, wherein the vanes are arch-shaped in a longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft, the vane guide grooves are arch-shaped to accommodate the vanes thereinto, and the vanes are rotatably coupled to portions of the rotor body through link rods disposed on one side of the vanes. The vane motor is configured to allow the arch-shaped vanes to perform the rotating motions along the arch traces, not the linear reciprocating motions, thereby suppressing and removing the abnormal operations, abrasion, and friction of the vanes.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of International Patent Application PCT/KR2020/018807 filed on Dec. 21, 2020, which designates the United States and claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0164743 filed on Nov. 30, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vane motor, and more specifically, to a vane motor that is capable of moving vanes to and from vane grooves stably and effectively reducing the abrasion of the vanes, while generating a rotary force by means of a pneumatic pressure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A vane motor is one of machines for converting a pressure of a fluid into rotary power. FIG. 1 shows an example of existing vane motors.

In this case, a rotor is rotatably located inside a casing 211, and the casing 211 has a fluid inlet 253 into which a fluid for applying a pressure is introduced and a fluid outlet 255 from which the fluid is discharged. If the fluid is introduced into the fluid inlet 253, the pressure of the fluid is applied to vanes 235 which spreads to the outside of the rotor and the spreading lengths of which are varied. Accordingly, while the vanes 235 move in the direction of the pressure applied, the entire rotor rotates inside the casing 211. If the fluid applying the pressure to the vanes 235 reaches the fluid outlet 255, the fluid is discharged through the fluid outlet 255 with a low pressure.

That is, if the fluid introduced into the fluid inlet reaches the fluid outlet, it is discharged through the fluid outlet, and in this process, the pressure is applied to the vanes 235 to cause the rotor to rotate.

In this case, the vanes 235 are coupled to a rotor body 231, and protruding lengths of the vanes 235 from the rotor body 231 are varied. To do this, the vanes 235 are inserted into grooves 231 a of the rotor body 231, and they are movable along the grooves 231 a in longitudinal directions of the grooves 231 a. The distance between the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211 and a rotary shaft 233 of the rotor body 231 is varied according to the positions of the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211, and accordingly, large portions of the vanes 235 escape from the grooves 231 a of the rotor body 231 at the long distance, thereby increasing the protruding lengths of the vanes 235, whereas most portions of the vanes 235 are inserted into the grooves 231 a at the short distance, thereby decreasing the protruding lengths of the vanes 235.

So as to allow the vanes 235 to gently move to and from the grooves 231 a of the rotor body 231, the grooves 231 a have elastic materials such as springs disposed on the bottoms thereof. Otherwise, since the vanes escape from the grooves by means of the centrifugal force of the rotor rotating, such springs may not be provided.

In the sections where the distance between the rotor body 231 and the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211 is short, the ends of the vanes 235 come into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211 when the rotor body 231 rotates and thus receive a pressure through which they are inserted into the grooves 231 a.

In the existing vane motor, however, if the gaps between the ends of the vanes 235 and the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211 are too big, the fluid leaks to the gaps to cause the loss of the pressure, and if the gaps are too small, friction between the vanes and the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211 is seriously generated to cause the energy generated from the pressure of the fluid to be substantially lost. Further, the vanes and the inner peripheral wall of the casing 211 become abraded and thus exchanged with new ones, thereby increasing maintenance costs thereof. This causes their trade-off relationship, and such problems cannot be perfectly solved on the existing vane motor. Accordingly, among individual vane motors having various materials and sizes, appropriate gap sizes having excellent efficiency and durability have to be obtained through tests.

So as to increase the rotary force of the rotor through the pressure of the fluid, further, the total amount of the force of the fluid applied to the vanes has to increase, and as the force is the value obtained by multiplying the pressure as the force applied per unit area by the area to which the pressure is applied, there is a need to increase the areas where the vanes come into contact with the fluid when the rotor rotates.

However, if the vanes escape from the grooves and are thus distant from them, they may be completely deviated from the grooves, and otherwise, while the vanes are frictional with the inner peripheral wall of the casing, vibrations or other unstable states may be generated. Therefore, it is important that the vanes are designed to allow the contact areas with the fluid to increase, while maintaining the stable coupling to the rotor.

Moreover, it is always requested in the vane motor to obtain an efficient configuration in which a rotary force is enhanced with a small amount of fluid, and in the case of the vane motor installed on a mechanism moving in a state where a fluid is stored in a tank, such an efficient configuration is more needed. Accordingly, such a need has to be considered even in the design for increasing the contact areas between the vanes and the fluid.

As one method for solving the problems of the abnormal operations, friction, and abrasion of the vanes as mentioned above, further, a method in which vane grooves are formed misalignedly by a given angle with a radial direction of a rotor has been proposed. The angles of the vane grooves are determined in consideration of the materials and sizes of the vanes and the surface states coming into contact with the vanes. However, the method in which the vanes are misaligned by the given angle with the radial direction from the rotation central axis of the rotor does not solve the friction and abrasion of the vanes perfectly, and if the given angles with respect to the radial direction are too big, the pressure of the fluid for operating the vanes may not be utilized well.

A vane mechanism, which is configured to have arc-shaped vanes, not flat plate-shaped vanes and links disposed on the centers of the arc-shaped vanes to cause the vanes to perform rotating reciprocating motions, is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1199197. Such a configuration is suggested to solve the problems occurring in the linear reciprocating motions of the flat plate-shaped vanes, such as the friction, abrasion and abnormal operations of the vanes, but as relatively big grooves are formed on the rotor to ensure the motions of connectors for connecting the arc-shaped vanes to the rotor, the fluid is filled into the grooves. In this case, the pressures of the fluid filled into the grooves are not always the same as one another according to their position. When the fluid is supplied to the fluid inlet, accordingly, a larger amount of fluid has to be supplied to allow the space to which the fluid is supplied to be under a high pressure, which lowers the efficiency of the vane motor with which a high output is generated with a small amount of fluid.

Further, a vane motor as shown in FIG. 2 is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-2019-0171567 as filed by the present inventor, and the vane motor has a cylindrical inner container disposed between a rotor and a casing so as to reduce the abrasion and friction between vanes and the casing.

In this case, a rotor, which receives the pressure of a fluid inside the casing and rotates around a rotary shaft mounted onto the casing, includes a generally cylindrical body having a central axis corresponding to the rotary shaft and vanes disposed in grooves formed on the side peripheral wall of the cylindrical body and changed in widths protruding from the grooves according to rotation phases.

The casing is a cylindrical closed container having a cylindrical outer container for accommodating the rotor and closure plates for closing both ends of the outer container, and fluid inlets are formed on at least one of the closure plates and have the shapes of arches connected to the space between the inside of the cylindrical inner container and the outside of the rotor body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vane motor that is capable of removing and suppressing problems caused by the linear reciprocating motions of the vanes in the existing vane motor as mentioned above, such as abnormal operations, abrasion, and friction of the vanes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vane motor that is capable of providing a high output or torque with a small amount of pressurized fluid.

To accomplish the above-mentioned objects, a vane motor according to the present invention may include:

-   -   a casing having an inlet and an outlet through which a         pressurized fluid is introduced and discharged; and     -   a rotor disposed inside the casing and configured to receive the         pressure of the pressurized fluid and rotate about a rotary         shaft held in the casing,     -   the rotor having a generally cylindrical rotor body with a         central axis corresponding to the rotary shaft and vanes         installed in vane guide grooves formed in the side surface of         the rotor body and changed in widths protruding from the vane         guide grooves according to rotation phases,     -   wherein the vanes are arch-shaped viewed in a longitudinal         direction of the rotary shaft, the vane guide grooves are         arch-shaped to accommodate the vanes thereinto, and the vanes         are rotatably coupled to portions of the rotor body through link         rods disposed on one side of the vanes.

According to the present invention, the link rods may be rotatably coupled to the portions of the rotor body through hinge shafts so that the vanes are rotatably coupled to the portions of the rotor body through the link rods.

According to the present invention, the link rods may be coupled to tops of the vanes, and the hinge shafts may be mounted on the surface of the rotor body, so that the vanes are accommodated into the vane guide grooves to the maximum, no separate link rod accommodation grooves are not formed on the surface of the rotor, and even if the link rod accommodation grooves are formed, they may be desirably formed with minimum volumes in which only the link rods are accommodated.

For example, each link rod may have a substantially lower thickness than the entire length or thickness (if the rotor has the shape of a thick disc, not the shape of a cylinder) of the rotor body with respect to the direction oriented by the rotary shaft of the rotor, and the groove for accommodating the link rod on the surface of the rotor body may have a fine gap with the link rod to allow the link rod to be hardly accommodated so that it does not directly collide with the link rod when the vane is accommodated into the vane guide groove.

In this case, the link rod may be located on the intermediate portion of the rotor, one end of the rotor, or both ends of the rotor, in the longitudinal direction of the rotor, and accordingly, the hinge shaft may be located on the intermediate portion of the rotor, one end of the rotor, or both ends of the rotor, in the longitudinal direction of the rotor.

According to the present invention, the rear portions of the inlets of the vane guide grooves with respect to the rotating direction of the rotor may be locally removed to provide expanding portions, and the removal of the rotor body for forming the expanding portions may be carried out by allowing the inlets of the vane guide grooves to be chamfered or rounded. However, the lower ends (the ends toward the rotor center) of the vanes may not be exposed up to the expanding portions even when the vanes are exposed to the outside to the maximum. If the lower ends of the vanes meet the expanding portions, a pressurized fluid may leak to the spaces in front of the vanes through the expansion portions under the lower ends of the vanes, so that the pressure for pushing the vanes forwardly becomes weakened, thereby making the vane efficiencies deteriorated.

According to the present invention, each vane may have a concave groove formed on top of the rear portion thereof to gently apply the pressure of the air introduced thereto. In this case, the groove may be concave in a forward direction, but when viewed on the side, desirably, a portion of the groove may be concave toward the center of the rotor. Otherwise, an acute-angled projection may be formed on the inlet of the groove (toward the rotary shaft of the rotor on the side view). In this case, the pressure of the fluid introduced may be applied to the groove to allow the vane to enter the interior of the vane guide groove, so that a rotation interference phenomenon, in which the vane is pushed forwardly, comes into close contact with the inner peripheral wall of the casing body, and does not naturally slide from the inner peripheral wall, due to the sudden application of the high-pressure pressurized fluid in the first hole 355 a to the vane, may be prevented.

According to the present invention, the pressurized fluid inlet may include a single hole or a plurality of holes formed on the cylindrical body of the casing in a rotating direction of the casing or on the closure plates for closing both ends of the cylindrical body of the casing to apply the pressurized fluid to the rotor from the side.

According to the present invention, elastic means such as a spring may be disposed to apply a restoring force to the outside (to the inner peripheral wall of the casing body) so as to allow the vane to perform a reciprocating motion, and the elastic means may be disposed on each vane guide groove or around the hinge shaft.

According to the present invention, the vane motor may further include a cylindrical inner container disposed inside the casing to accommodate the rotor therein and adapted to allow the ends of the vanes to come into contact with the inner peripheral wall thereof, while retaining the pressurized fluid therein until the pressurized fluid introduced from the pressurized fluid inlet of the casing is discharged through the pressurized fluid outlet of the casing, so that the inner container rotates together with the rotor rotating, while a rotation center position in the casing is isolated from the rotary shaft.

According to the present invention, the casing may be a cylindrical closed container having a cylindrical body including the inner container and the rotor and providing a space in which the inner container rotates and the closure plates for closing both ends of the cylindrical body. In this case, the closure plates may slide from portions coming into contact with both ends of the inner container in a longitudinal direction (in the direction of the rotation shaft), both ends of the rotor body, and both ends of the vanes, with fine gaps through which the pressurized fluid rarely leaks. The outlet and the inlet are formed on both closure plates or one closure plate, and if they are overlaid on the defined spaces by the inside of the cylindrical inner container and the outside of the rotor body viewed in the direction of the rotary shaft of the rotor, the pressurized fluid is introduced into the defined spaces or discharged from the defined spaces.

In this case, the rotor may be locally removed from the rear sides of the inlets of vane guide grooves to form side expanding portions, and the pressurized fluid inlet may be formed on the closure plate along a curved line similar to an arch, more accurately, a portion of the trace made by moving the side expanding portions so that the pressurized fluid inlet is overlaid on the spaces in which the side expanding portions are formed. Of course, the side expanding portions are connected to the spaces defined by surrounding the vanes, the rotor, and the inner peripheral surface of the inner container to form portions of the spaces. In this case, the expanding portions may first meet the pressurized fluid inlet at positions where the space between the rotor body and the inner container becomes open when the rotor rotates.

According to the present invention, further, if the pressurized fluid inlet may include the plurality of holes arranged, a plurality of pressurized fluid pipes (paths) connected correspondingly to the plurality of holes, and a plurality of opening and closing means mounted correspondingly on the plurality of pressurized fluid pipes to perform step-by-step (multistage) adjustment in an output or torque of the vane motor.

According to the present invention, the vane motor is configured to allow the arch-shaped vanes to perform the rotating motions along the arch traces, not the linear reciprocating motions, thereby suppressing and removing the abnormal operations, abrasion, and friction of the vanes.

According to one aspect of the present invention, while the abnormal operations, abrasion, and friction of the vanes are being suppressed and removed, the vane motor can provide a high output or torque with a small amount of pressurized fluid, thereby enhancing the rotation efficiency thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional vane motor.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing another conventional vane motor.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a vane motor according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view taken along a plane vertical with respect to a rotary shaft in the vane motor according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a vane that is coupled to a rotor body in the vane motor according to the first embodiment of the present invention

FIGS. 6A and 6B are partially side views showing a pressure increasing groove formed on top of the rear portion of the vane and another pressure increasing groove replacing the pressure increasing groove in the vane motor according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a vane motor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective side view showing the vane motor according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a rotor made by coupling a rotor body to vanes in the vane motor according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

First Embodiment

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5 , a vane motor according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a casing forming the outermost circumference thereof and a rotor disposed inside the casing, and in this case, the casing and the rotor are similar in configurations to existing casings and rotors, excepting specific configurations as will be discussed herein.

For example, the casing includes a generally cylindrical casing body 311 and closure plates 313 and 315 for closing both longitudinal ends of the casing body 311.

A rotor body 330 has the shape of a cylinder or thick disc, and the rotor body 330 has vane guide grooves 331 a formed on the side periphery thereof to fit vanes 335 thereto.

According to the present invention, as appreciated from FIGS. 3 to 5 , each vane 335 is a thick plate having the shape of an arch, and accordingly, each vane guide groove 331 a is an arch-shaped groove for accommodating the corresponding vane 335.

Further, the vanes 335 are connected to portions of the rotor body 330 by means of link rods 337 disposed on one side thereof (the front sides when rotating directions thereof are considered) and thus rotatably coupled to the rotor body 330 through the link rods 337 and hinge shafts 339.

The link rods 337 and the hinge shafts 339 extend over a given thickness of the rotor, not over the entire length or thickness (if the rotor body is the thick disc) of the rotor, and in this case, they have the thicknesses smaller than that of the rotor and are thus disposed on the intermediate portion of the rotor in the direction of the rotary shaft. Further, the link rods 337 are coupled to tops (the outermost portions of the vanes 335 with respect to the rotation central axis of the rotor) of the vanes 335, and the hinge shafts 339 are coupled to the surface layer (outer circumferential layer) of the rotor body 330.

In this case, accordingly, when the vanes 335 are accommodated into the vane guide grooves 331 a to the maximum, link rod accommodation grooves 331 c formed on the intermediate longitudinal portions of the rotor body 330 are formed at minimum depths, so that it is easy to install the vanes 335 and the volumes occupied by the link rods 337 are minimized. However, the link rod accommodation grooves 331 c are desirably formed with given spare depths to prevent the link rods 337 from colliding directly against the rotor body 330 when the vanes 335 move and thus causing vibrations, and in the same manner as above, further, the vane guide grooves 331 a are desirably formed with given spare depths.

Of course, the link rods 337 may be disposed only at one end of the rotor in the direction of the rotary shaft of the rotor body, and otherwise, the link rods 337 may be disposed symmetrically on both ends of the rotor in the direction of the rotary shaft of the rotor body. In this case, the vanes 335 are supported to the rotor so that they perform angular reciprocating motions more stably.

As shown in the side view of FIG. 4 , if the vane guide grooves 331 a are formed on the rotor body 330 simply to accommodate vanes 335, the rear side rotor body portions with respect to the rotating direction from the inlets of the vane guide grooves 331 a may have acute angles with the vane guide grooves, but according to the present invention, the rear side rotor body portions on the inlets of the vane guide grooves are locally removed and rounded to provide gentle and smooth curves. As a result, expanding portions 331 b are formed through such rounding as a kind of chamfering.

Through the removed portions or the expanding portions 331 b, spaces defined by surrounding the vane rear portions, the inner peripheral wall of the casing, and the surface of the rotor body are bigger, when compared with the case where no expanding portions exist, the vanes meet a pressurized fluid inlet more quickly, and further, the vane rear portions are exposed in larger areas to the outside to allow the pressure to be applied through the larger areas thereof.

In this case, however, the lower ends (the ends toward the rotor center) of the vanes 335 are not exposed up to the expanding portions 331 b even when the vanes 335 are exposed to the outside to the maximum. If the lower ends of the vanes 335 meet the expanding portions 331 b, a pressurized fluid leaks to the spaces in front of the vanes through the expansion portions 331 b under the lower ends of the vanes 335, so that the pressure in the front side spaces increases and that in the rear side spaces decreases to cause the pressure for pushing the vanes forwardly to be weakened, thereby making the vane efficiencies deteriorated.

The closure plates 313 and 315 have rotary shaft installation holes 351 adapted to mount or pass through a rotary shaft connected to the rotor. The rotary shaft may be formed integrally with the rotor body 330.

In this case, the pressurized fluid inlet and a pressurized fluid outlet are formed on the side peripheral wall of the generally cylindrical casing body 311, and the pressurized fluid inlet 355 into which a high-pressure fluid is introduced from the outside includes four holes 355 a, 355 b, 355 c, and 355 d, whereas the pressurized fluid outlet 353 includes two holes 353 a and 353 b. When viewed on the side, they are arranged in a circumferential direction so that when the rotor rotates, they meet the respective spaces defined by surrounding the vanes, the rotor body, and the casing, sequentially.

Even though not shown, in this case, bearings are disposed on the closure plates having the rotary shaft installation holes, and accordingly, the rotary shaft rotates by means of the bearings, without having any direct contact with the closure plates 313 and 315, so that friction occurring upon the rotation is reduced. Under the above-mentioned configuration, the rotor rotates while having the contact with the inner peripheral surface of the casing body 311.

Among the four holes constituting the pressurized fluid inlet, when the rotating direction is considered, the first hole 355 a, which first meets each vane, is formed at a position where a space or gap is made between the rotor and the inner peripheral surface of the casing body after the vanes 335 are fully (to the maximum) accommodated into the vane guide grooves 331 a when the rotor rotates so that the vanes 335 can move to the outside.

In this case, as the pressurized fluid is introduced from the outside into the space defined by surrounding the rear portion of the corresponding vane, the surface of the rotor body, and the inner peripheral surface of the casing body, the pressure in the defined space becomes high, and the pressurized fluid applies a pressure to the rear portion of the vane to push the vane forwardly. Accordingly, the rotor rotates in a clockwise direction in the drawings.

The defined space increases in volume as the vane 335 moves from the corresponding vane guide groove 331 a to the outside according to the rotation of the rotor to cause the distance between the rotor and the inner peripheral surface of the casing body to become long, and further, as the defined space meets the second hole 355 b, the third hole 355 c, and the fourth hole 355 d, sequentially, the pressurized fluid is supplied consistently to the defined space. Even though the defined space is expanded, accordingly, a substantially high pressure can be maintained, and further, the high-pressure fluid at the inside of the defined space is applied consistently to the rear portion of the vane, thereby generating a torque for rotating the rotor in the clockwise direction.

After that, if the rotor rotates, the defined space is blocked from the holes constituting the pressurized fluid inlet, and accordingly, the vane is pushed to the outside to the maximum, while the defined space has a maximum volume, so that the internal pressure in the defined space decreases.

Next, the vane is pushed against the inner peripheral wall of the casing body and enters the vane guide groove 311 a again, and accordingly, the defined space is reduced in volume. If the volume decreases, the pressure of the defined space is raised, but the vane meets the first outlet 353 b and the second outlet 353 a sequentially to discharge the pressurized fluid to the outside, so that the pressure becomes more decreased and the vane is accommodated into the vane guide groove to the maximum.

Accordingly, the pressure may be somewhat changed according to the positions of the holes constituting the pressurized fluid inlet and the holes constituting the compressed outlet and the expansion rates of the volumes of the defined spaces, but in most cases, the maximum pressure is applied to the defined space meeting the first hole 311 a, and the defined spaces in front of the defined space to which the maximum pressure is applied become gradually reduced in pressure in the order arranged, so that the torque for rotating the rotor in the clockwise direction is applied to the respective vanes and thus transferred to the outside through the rotary shaft of the rotor.

Further, each vane 335 has a pressure increasing groove 336 formed concavely on upper part or top of the rear portion thereof so that the vane 335 is changed in thickness. When it is assumed that a direction oriented by the rotary shaft is a longitudinal direction, the concave pressure increasing groove 336 is formed concavely toward a front face of the vane over the entire length of the vane, but it may be formed only on a portion of the vane in the longitudinal direction.

Generally, a fluid applies a pressure in a direction vertical to the plane with which the fluid comes into contact, and through the formation of the pressure increasing groove 336, the pressure of the pressurized fluid introduced is applied to the vane in the more efficient direction, thereby enhancing the rotation efficiency of the rotor.

In this case, the pressure increasing groove 336 is the groove formed concavely in the forward direction of the vane, but a portion 336 a′ of a pressure increasing groove 336′ is formed concavely toward the center of the rotor. That is, as shown in the side view of FIG. 6 (viewed in the direction of rotary shaft of the rotor), an acute-angled projection is formed on the lower side of the inlet of the pressure increasing groove 336.

In this case, the pressure of the fluid introduced is applied to the concave portion 336 a′ of the pressure increasing groove 336′ to cause the vane 335 to enter the interior of the vane guide groove 331 a, so that a rotation interference phenomenon, in which the vane is pushed forwardly, comes into close contact with the inner peripheral wall of the casing body, and does not naturally slide from the inner peripheral wall, due to the sudden application of the high-pressure pressurized fluid in the first hole 355 a to the vane, can be prevented.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show the two types of pressure increasing grooves formed on the vane, as mentioned above.

Even though not shown in the present invention, elastic means such as a spring is disposed to apply a restoring force to the outside (to the inner peripheral wall of the casing body) so as to ensure more reliable reciprocations of each vane, and the elastic means is disposed on each vane guide groove or around the hinge shaft.

Second Embodiment

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 9 , a vane motor according to the second embodiment of the present invention is configured similarly to the vane motor according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and as a structure in which vanes and a rotor body are coupled to one another is basically the same as in the first embodiment of the present invention, further, the vanes perform the same operations as in the first embodiment of the present invention.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, however, the vane motor further includes a cylindrical inner container 420 disposed inside a casing to accommodate a rotor therein and adapted to allow the ends of vanes to come into contact with the inner peripheral wall thereof, while retaining a pressurized fluid therein until the pressurized fluid introduced from pressurized fluid inlets 455 of the casing is discharged through pressurized fluid outlets of the casing, so that the inner container 420 rotates together with the rotor rotating, while a rotation center position in the casing is isolated from a rotary shaft 433, and accordingly, the pressurized fluid inlets and outlets are formed on closure plates 413 and 415 to introduce the pressurized fluid into the inner container 420.

In more specific, the casing is a cylindrical closed container having a cylindrical body 411 a including the inner container 420 and the rotor and providing a space in which the inner container 420 rotates and the closure plates 413 and 415 for closing both ends of the cylindrical body 411 a. In this case, the closure plates slide from portions coming into contact with both ends of the inner container in a longitudinal direction (in the direction of the rotation shaft), both ends of a rotor body 420, and both ends of the vanes 435, with fine gaps through which the pressurized fluid rarely leaks. The pressurized fluid outlets and the pressurized fluid inlets 455 are formed on both closure plates or one closure plate, and if they are overlaid on the defined spaces by the inside of the cylindrical inner container and the outside of the rotor body viewed in the direction of the rotary shaft 433 of the rotor, the pressurized fluid is introduced into the defined spaces or discharged from the defined spaces.

In this case, of course, the vanes 435 are connected to hinge shafts 439 fitted to portions of the rotor body 430 through link rods 437 disposed on one side thereof (the front sides when rotating directions are considered) and thus rotatably coupled to the rotor body 430 through the link rods 437 and the hinge shafts 439. The rotor body has link rod accommodation grooves 431 b formed on the surface thereof to accommodate the link rods 437 thereinto.

The rotor body is locally removed from the rear sides of the inlets of vane guide grooves 431 a to form primary expanding portions 431 c. According to the present invention, however, in the state where the primary expanding portions 431 c are formed by locally removing the rear sides of the inlets of the vane guide grooves 431 a formed on the rotor body 430, secondary expanding portions 431 d, which are concavely curved to the closure plates and the rear portions of the vanes, are formed by additionally removing both ends of the primary expanding portions 431 c in the longitudinal direction of the rotor.

Accordingly, the secondary expanding portions 431 d are spatially connected to the primary expanding portions 431 c. The secondary expanding portions 431 d provide given spaces in which the pressurized fluid introduced from the pressurized fluid inlets 455 formed on the closure plates is more easily received and somewhat extend the primary expanding portions 431 d backwardly to allow the expansion portions to be overlaid on the pressurized fluid inlets for a longer time during the rotation of the rotor, thereby making the pressurized fluid introduced in larger amount.

On the perspective side view of FIG. 8 viewed in the longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft, the pressurized fluid inlets 455 and the pressurized fluid outlets formed on the closure plates are overlaid on the spaces between the inner side of the casing body 411 a and the outer side of the rotor body 430 and at once on the defined spaces formed between the inner side of the inner container 420 and the outer side of the rotor body 430. In specific, each pressurized fluid inlet includes a plurality of holes, more particularly, three holes, and the plurality of holes and the pressurized fluid outlets are formed with given widths along curved lines similar to arches.

The plurality of holes constituting the pressurized fluid inlets on the respective closure plates are arranged along the trace of the curved line similar to a part of the circumference of the closure plate. When viewed on the side, in specific, the plurality of holes are arranged along the trace along which the secondary expanding portions move and thus defined by positions overlaid on the portions of the primary expanding portions formed on the rotor body behind the vanes and the secondary expanding portions. Through the expanding portions, in this case, the pressurized fluid passing through the holes enters the spaces defined between the rotor and the inner container and by the rear portions of the vanes.

At the moment as shown in FIG. 8 when the rotor rotates, the rearmost portion of the arch-shaped first hole 455 a formed at the rearmost position with respect to the rotating direction of the rotor first communicates with the primary expanding portion as the rear side defined space, and the frontmost portion of the first hole 455 a is disconnected to the secondary expanding portion 431 d as the front side defined space. The second hole 455 b and the third hole 455 c are in the state before disconnection after completing the supply of the pressurized fluid to the front side defined spaces.

If the rotor is kept rotating, in such a state, the pressurized fluid is introduced into the defined space from that time when the rearmost first hole of the pressurized fluid inlet is overlaid on the expanding portion as the rearmost defined space with respect to the rotating direction of the rotor, so that the small defined space becomes in a state of a high pressure, and while the expansion portion is overlaid on the first hole, the pressurized fluid is continuously introduced. If the state of the expansion portion overlaid on the first hole is passed, the defined space overlaidly meets the second hole and the third hole sequentially, so that the pressurized fluid is supplied in larger amount to the defined space. According to embodiments of the present invention, of course, a larger number of holes than the three holes constituting the pressurized fluid inlet may be formed to supply the pressurized fluid to the expansion portions of the rotor.

Under the above-mentioned configuration, now, an explanation of the operations of the components of the vane motor according to the present invention will be given below. If the rotor rotates to cause the primary expanding portions to move to positions at which they meet the first holes 455 a of the pressurized fluid inlets of the closure plates 413 and 415, as shown in FIG. 7 , the pressurized fluid introduced at strong pressure from the pressurized fluid inlets enters both longitudinal ends of the rotor and is filled in the entire defined space including the expansion portions. Next, the pressurized fluid meets the rear portion of the corresponding vane defining the defined space and thus applies the pressure to the vane.

As the rotor rotates with the pressure of the pressurized fluid, the vane enters a section in which the space between the rotor body 430 and the inner container 420 becomes open, and while the end of the vane is kept coming into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the inner container by means of a centrifugal force, the vane moves outward from the vane guide groove 431 a, so that the space between the inner container and the rotor body 430 becomes more increased.

According to the present invention, each pressurized fluid inlet includes the three arch-shaped holes arranged along a generally arch-shaped curve trace corresponding to the center angle of about 90°, and only during the time when the holes and the primary and secondary expanding portions are overlaid on one another while the rotor is rotating, the defined spaces between the inner container 420 and the rotor body 430 are connected to the pressurized fluid inlets so that the pressurized fluid is introduced.

In the space between the inner container and the rotor body 430, the expanding portions first meet the pressurized fluid inlets at positions where the space between the rotor body 430 and the inner container is open, and at this position, the gap (space) between the rotor body and the inner container is very small so that the pressurized fluid is kept to a state of a high pressure, while being introduced, to allow a rotary force to be efficiently transferred even in smaller amount thereof.

According to the second embodiment of the present invention, the inner container is further provided and the pressurized fluid inlets are formed on the closure plates. However, the position relation between the rotor body and the vanes and the angular reciprocating motions of the vanes are basically the same as according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Instead of allowing the vanes fitted to the rotor to slide along the inner peripheral wall of the casing, however, the rotor rotates in a state where the vanes come into contact with the inner peripheral wall of the inner container, and thus, the vanes perform the angular reciprocating motions so that they move to and from the vane guide grooves. In this case, a real circumference of the rotor is generally different from the circumference of the inner container, and accordingly, the revolutions per minute of the rotor are different from those of the inner container.

Further, each vane 435 has a pressure increasing groove 436 formed concavely on top of the rear portion thereof so that the vane 435 is changed in thickness. When it is assumed that a direction oriented by the rotary shaft 433 is a longitudinal direction, the concave pressure increasing groove 436 is formed concavely in a forward direction of the vane over the entire length of the vane.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms.

For example, the embodiments of the present invention, in which the portions of the rotor body on the rear portions of the inlets of the vane guide groove are removed to form the chamfered or rounded expanding portions, have been explained, but of course, embodiments in which no expansion portions exist may be carried out.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, further, the pressure increasing grooves are formed on tops of the rear portions of the vanes to enhance the application efficiency of the pressurized fluid, and the pressurized fluid inlet include the plurality of holes. However, of course, the vanes may have no pressure increasing grooves, and a single pressurized fluid inlet may be provided.

Although the embodiments above have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications. 

1. A vane motor comprising: a casing having a pressurized fluid inlet and a pressurized fluid outlet through which a pressurized fluid is introduced and discharged; and a rotor disposed inside the casing and configured to receive the pressure of the pressurized fluid and rotate about a rotary shaft held in the casing, the rotor having a generally cylindrical rotor body with a central axis corresponding to the rotary shaft and vanes installed in vane guide grooves formed in the side surface of the rotor body and changed in widths protruding from the vane guide grooves according to rotation phases, wherein the vanes are arch-shaped viewed in a longitudinal direction of the rotary shaft, the vane guide grooves are arch-shaped to accommodate the vanes thereinto, and the vanes are rotatably coupled to portions of the rotor body through link rods disposed on one side of the vanes.
 2. The vane motor according to claim 1, wherein the rear portions of the inlets of the vane guide groove accommodating the vanes with respect to the rotating direction of the rotor, when viewed in the longitudinal direction (on the side) of the rotary shaft, are locally removed to provide expanding portions through which the rear portions of the vanes are exposed more, and the expanding portions prevent the lower end portions of the vanes from being exposed when the vanes move to the outside to the maximum.
 3. The vane motor according to claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a cylindrical casing body and closure plates for closing both longitudinal ends of the casing body, and the pressurized fluid inlet is formed on the side surface of the cylindrical casing body.
 4. The vane motor according to claim 1, wherein the casing comprises a cylindrical casing body and closure plates for closing both longitudinal ends of the casing body, and the pressurized fluid inlet is formed on the closure plates.
 5. The vane motor according to claim 1, wherein each vane has a pressure increasing groove formed concavely in a portion of a thickness thereof on upper part of the rear portion thereof.
 6. The vane motor according to claim 5, wherein a portion of the pressure increasing groove is formed concavely toward the rotary shaft of the rotor or has an acute-angled projection formed on the lower side inlet of the pressure increasing groove when viewed in the longitudinal direction (on the side) of the rotary shaft.
 7. The vane motor according to claim 4, further comprising a cylindrical inner container disposed inside the casing to accommodate the rotor therein and adapted to allow the ends of the vanes to come into contact with the inner peripheral wall thereof, while retaining the pressurized fluid therein until the pressurized fluid introduced from the pressurized fluid inlet of the casing is discharged through the pressurized fluid outlet of the casing, so that the inner container rotates together with the rotor rotating, while having the revolutions per minute different from the revolutions per minute of the rotor, and the pressurized fluid inlet introduces the pressurized fluid to spaces defined by surrounding the inner container, the rotor body, and the rear portions of the vanes when the pressurized fluid inlet is overlaid on the defined spaces or meets the defined spaces according to the rotation of the rotor.
 8. The vane motor according to claim 7, wherein the rear portions of the inlets of the vane guide groove accommodating the vanes with respect to the rotating direction of the rotor, when viewed in the longitudinal direction (on the side) of the rotary shaft, are locally removed to provide expanding portions through which the rear portions of the vanes are exposed more, and the pressurized fluid inlet comprises a single hole or a plurality of holes overlaid on some sections of a trace along which the expansion portions move.
 9. The vane motor according to claim 8, wherein the expanding portions comprise primary expanding portions formed by removing the rotor body over the entire portion of the longitudinal direction of the rotor and secondary expanding portions formed by additionally removing the rotor body on both longitudinal ends of the rotor of the primary expanding portions to provide concave surfaces to the closure plates and the rear portions of the vanes.
 10. The vane motor according to claim 7, wherein the rotation central axis of the inner container and the rotary shaft of the rotor are kept in given positions inside the casing, and when a cylinder constituting the inner container rotates inside the casing, bearings are provided to decrease the friction between the outer peripheral wall of the cylinder and the inner peripheral wall of the casing.
 11. The vane motor according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized fluid inlet comprises a plurality of holes arranged, a plurality of pressurized fluid paths connected correspondingly to the plurality of holes, and a plurality of opening and closing means mounted correspondingly on the plurality of pressurized fluid paths to perform step-by-step (multistage) adjustment in an output or torque thereof. 